U.S. Pat. No. 3,701,675 to Kallrath et al discloses a method for applying metal coatings to non-conductors by an electroless method wherein the non-conductor is dipped into an electroless plating solution.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,326,719 to Beltzer et al relates to a method of metal coating non-conductive porous and non-porous substrates. Beltzer et al, in one embodiment, utilized a vacuum to draw a reactive dye material and a metallizing solution through a catalyzed porous carbon body to prepare an electrode.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,351,487 to Levine et al discloses a process for plating a permeable membrane with an electrically conductive metallic film. The metallic coating is deposited on the interior of hollow fibers by flowing a reducing agent through the interior of each fiber while a metal ion solution contains the exterior surface. The metal ion solution penetrates the pores of the fiber and contacts the reducing agent, causing metal to deposit on the interior of the fiber.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,560,262 of Babba et al is concerned with a battery electrode composed of a porous fabric base such as nonwoven nylon on which there is nonelectrolytically plated a thin coating of a conductive metal. A metal coating is applied by dipping a fabric base in an electroless plating solution to produce a relatively thick metallic coating.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,002,779 to Nischwitz discloses that a relatively thick coating of metal, such as nickel, is plated over a thin coating of conductive metal which has been non-electrolytically plated onto a porous fabric such as nonwoven nylon.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,626,294 to Brennan discloses a storage battery electrode comprising a nickel coating on a porous electrolytically inert structure such as asbestos or porous poly-styrene. Metal deposition in the Brennan patent is accomplished by electroplating.